Leading Japanese Firms PostSales Rises; Profits are Mixed

12:23 PM MST | November 9, 2007 | Ian Young

Leading Japanese chemical companies posted a mixed bag of earnings and sales for their fiscal first half, ended September 30. Most firms’ operating profits and sales increased, benefiting from a stronger Japanese economy, which offset concerns about weakness in U.S. markets. Some firms’ net profits declined, however, due to one-off charges and high feedstock costs. Second-quarter figures were not disclosed. RISING SALES* (in billions of yen) SALES %CHANGE EARNINGS %CHANGE Mitsubishi Chemical ¥1,389.8 10% ¥38.2 -38% Sumitomo Chemical...